Guide
Health classes explained
Carriers classify applicants into rate categories: Preferred Plus, Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard. Learn what these categories represent and which factors may result in different classifications.
Carriers segment term life rates through rate classifications. While terminology varies between companies, the ranking is standard: Preferred Plus (sometimes called Super Preferred or Elite Preferred), Preferred, Standard Plus, and Standard, followed by non-standard ratings for higher-risk cases. People who smoke have their own classification tiers at increased rates.
What underwriters look at
Physical measurements and fitness (height to weight ratio), heart rate and cholesterol levels, family medical background (cancer or cardiovascular disease before turning 60), vehicle driving history, medication list, job type and recreational activities, and any tobacco/nicotine consumption. Achieving the top classification requires favorable results across nearly every factor; the next tier permits some flexibility; lower tiers accommodate controlled health conditions like managed hypertension.
How to use the quote tool
On the quote form, health is self-reported: Excellent aligns with Preferred Plus, Very Good with Preferred, Good with Standard Plus, and Fair with Standard. Quotes display the rate corresponding to your selection; carriers adjust the classification during their evaluation. If you're uncertain, obtain quotes for two different health levels and compare; ultimately the insurer will establish the correct classification. Selecting a higher health rating than accurate doesn't reduce your actual premium—it merely makes your estimate less realistic.
Susman Insurance Agency helps identify carriers whose underwriting guidelines are more favorable for particular medical situations, and that decision often carries more weight than the advertised rate.